Can I claim both Carer's Allowance and work part-time under the earnings limit in 2026/27?

Full answer

Carer's Allowance has a strict weekly earnings limit, and earnings are assessed after allowable deductions rather than on gross pay. What counts is your "net" figure: take your gross pay, then subtract income tax, your National Insurance contributions, and half of any payment you make into a pension. You can also deduct certain care costs that let you work — for example, paying someone (who is not a close relative) to look after the disabled person or your own child under 16 while you are at work, up to half of your remaining net earnings. Because the deductions can be substantial, you may be able to gross-earn more than the headline limit and still qualify. The limit is applied per week, but if you have regular hours and pay, your earnings can be averaged. So a part-time wage that occasionally spikes — an extra shift or a bonus — can be smoothed across your normal pay cycle rather than knocking you out for a single week. A genuine one-off bonus, however, may be counted only in the week it is paid. If you go over even slightly, Carer's Allowance is withdrawn entirely for the affected week, not reduced gradually, so it pays to track earnings carefully. You must also still meet the core condition: caring for at least 35 hours a week for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit (such as PIP daily living or Attendance Allowance). At the 2026/27 National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour for those aged 21 and over, the earnings limit equates to only a handful of hours, so most claimants work very limited part-time shifts. In Scotland, this benefit is delivered as Carer Support Payment via Social Security Scotland, with the same earnings-limit mechanism; Wales and Northern Ireland follow the standard rules. Carers in Scotland may also receive the separate Carer's Allowance Supplement. Check the current weekly earnings limit on GOV.UK or mygov.scot before increasing your hours.

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